The ScanTrac X-ray Inspection System

Inspection of Meat Balls (Chicken Nuggets)

Prepared For: Pronaca

Quito, Ecuador
Presented By:
Unlimited-Systems for InspX

1 Inch Meatballs

All the sample product was packed in a

five pound plastic bag as shown above.

ScanTrac Atempo
Meat Balls Inspected From Top Down

Loose meatballs or chicken

nuggets would be conveyed
through on the belt. For testing,
the meatballs were conveyed in
the tray as shown.

The ScanTrac Atempo X-ray Inspection System inspects

packages and products transferred onto its inspection conveyor.

Inspection on ScanTrac Atempo

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

A tray was filled with meatballs without contaminants. The good meatballs
were passed without rejection as shown.)

Inspection on ScanTrac Atempo

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

This image shows the detail of a single pass made of the good meatball tray.

Inspection on ScanTrac Atempo

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

For the testing, three separate algorithms were used to screen the product flow.
Each analysis is made simultaneously and extends over the full belt width.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant A

For the testing, one of the three meatballs (identified herein as A) was tested in
multiple passes in different locations in the tray. As shown in this summary of
testing for A, the meatball with the contaminant was detected in each location.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant A

This detail for Meatball A was detected in the lower part of the tray.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant A

This detail for Meatball A was detected in the middle part of the tray.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant B

This detail for Meatball B was detected in the upper part of the tray.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant A

Review of the details of this ejection of A, suggests that this ejection is the stone
sample.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant B

For the testing, one of the three meatballs (identified herein as B) was tested in
multiple passes in different locations in the tray. In the case of B, the
contaminant was detected repeatedly in all locations.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant B

This detail for Meatball B was detected in this tray location.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant B

This detail for Meatball B was detected in the middle part of the tray.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant B

This detail for Meatball B was detected in this location.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant B

Review of the details of this ejection for # 3 suggest that

this contaminant is a metal object.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant - Viton

To evaluate the detectability of plastics by the ScanTrac, a 6 mm Viton Sphere

was added to a meatball and testing was carried out. In the case of this Viton
sample, the contaminant was detected repeatedly in all locations.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant Viton

This detail for Meatball with Viton was detected in this tray location.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant Viton

This detail for the Meatball with Viton was detected in the upper part of the tray.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant Viton

This detail for the Meatball with Viton was detected in this location.

Mono-Layered Meat Ball Inspection

Meatball Contaminant Viton

Review of the details of this Viton detection suggests that a much smaller sample
of the Viton will be detected reliably, perhaps to a 3 mm size. Viton has similar
detection characteristics to Delran, Teflon, PVC, and EPDM.

ScanTrac Atempo
Meat Balls In Bag Inspected From Top Down

Test package as
presented for inspection
in the Atempo.

The ScanTrac Atempo X-ray Inspection System inspects

packages and products transferred onto its inspection conveyor.

Inspection on ScanTrac Atempo

Full Bag Inspection

The sample bag was tested and a contaminant (or two) were regularly
detected. The summary above shows the results of a five pass test.

Inspection on ScanTrac Atempo

Full Bag Inspection

The detail of the full bag inspection showed the regular detection of
the contaminant shown above. Many times a second contaminant
was detected in the same screen.

Inspection on ScanTrac Atempo

Full Bag Inspection

Second contaminant detected on

change in threshold.

Review of a full bag image to determine whether there is a second

detectable foreign material element, showed that using a different
inspection tool, a second contaminant is detectable.

Inspection on ScanTrac Atempo

Full Bag Inspection

In order to see through the various thicknesses of meatballs in the full

bag, a compromise setting must be made as shown above. Where
the image is darkest (two or more meatballs), a contaminant may be
in an area that is the top end of our spectrum, and if it is too light (on
the edge of single meatball) it may still remain part of the white part.

Inspection on ScanTrac An Option

Full Bag Inspection

If Pronaca, would like to explore a more sophisticated inspection of the full

bag, the ScanTrac Adagio features x-ray capabilities that can inspect
multiple levels of thickness with separate set-ups for more resolution
improvement across the whole bag range of layering.

Inspection on ScanTrac An Option

ScanTrac Adagio

The ScanTrac Adagio adds an extra inspection for varying meat

thickness. This feature would enhance the inspection of the meatballs in
either the full bag or monolayered application.